Without
by Floydgoneawry
Summary: What happens behind closed doors.


"WHY DON"T YOU JUST GO TO HELL?"

"AFTER YOU!"

The door to the clubroom slammed closed, the  
>sound of their voices still echoing throughout the<br>walls, reverberating around them long after he  
>had gone.<p>

They were not exactly positive what had caused  
>the fight to begin. Granted, they always tried to<br>irritate him to the point of exhaustion, but this  
>time, <em>this time<em>, it had gone too far.

Eyes turned to the girl glaring at the door.

Tears began forming and she slowly melted to  
>the floor.<p>

Her head rested behind her crossed arms on the  
>long table that served as the work-desk for every<br>brigade member but her. It was there for board  
>games, tea, and wars waged in the shoddy, 8-bit<br>expanse that was the infinite universe.

The others did not move an inch.

Mikuru Asahina still clutched her round serving  
>tray to her chest as if it were a protective shield.<p>

Itsuki Koizumi was still nervously running his  
>right pointer finger along the white queen that<br>belonged on her square for the game.

Yuki Nagato…

…did nothing.

She read.

As she usually read, in the corner of the room  
>with her back to the same wall the bookshelves<br>stood.

"When?"

The soft word was a surprise to them.

In between the sobs and sniffles came the  
>simple question.<p>

A question each of them had, but could never  
>know the answer.<p>

"When will it all be over?"

She wiped her eyes and nose on the sleeve of  
>her uniform.<p>

"When will it all be over?" she repeated slowly in  
>a quiet tone, but gradually spoke faster, and<br>louder, working herself into a shout. "When can  
>we finally tell him? When can we finally stop<br>putting up with all this shit?"

She pounded her fists on the table but nobody in  
>the room answered her.<p>

"We do everything," she started again, calmer,  
>but still tense. "We give him plenty of excitement,<br>adventure, we tell him he's an ordinary human,  
>we let him blame me for the world's problems…"<br>she took a moment to let out a sob, "…and still  
>he screams at me."<p>

Asahina came and dropped to her knees next to  
>the girl.<p>

"Mikuru…Mikuru I'm sorry!" she almost shouted,  
>breaking into tears again as she threw her arms<br>around the brigade's official maid.

"I'm sorry. I took it too far. I won't spank you  
>again."<p>

The other girl gave a shudder before returning  
>the hug and saying, with a bit of nervous<br>laughter, "That's alright...I-I'm alright."

"It's just getting so hard to keep up the energy.  
>I know I'm supposed to play my part…but it's just<br>so hard. It really is hard to be the bully. It's hard  
>to be the one he hates."<p>

Only the sound of her quiet sobs filled the room,  
>amplified by the stillness.<p>

That's when the flutter of a page came like angel  
>wings to her ears.<p>

"Yuki…Yuki please," she looked over to the silent  
>one for the first time.<p>

"Please…you know when he'll be back. Just give  
>me a few minutes. Just a few minutes of peace<br>and clarity."

Still on her knees, she 'walked' over to Nagato's  
>chair and placed her chin in the girl's lap, her<br>hands crossed in front of her as if in prayer.

"Just five minutes. That's all I ask. Please Yuki.  
>Please."<p>

Her voice trailed into a whisper.

Nagato looked away from her book and watched  
>as she pleaded desperately with her.<p>

Without a word, Nagato put down the book and  
>placed the cool palm of her hand against the<br>girl's forehead, allowing her fingers to rest in the  
>nest of her dark brown hair.<p>

No sound came from the alien's moving lips, but  
>soon the girl was unconscious. Her head rested<br>in Nagato's lap and all the tension in her body  
>abandoned her. It was a dreamless sleep. It was<br>a restorative sleep. It was the only way she  
>could truly be at peace anymore.<p>

Nagato alighted both of her hands atop her  
>head, robotically running her right hand fingertips<br>through the strands of the girl's bangs as she  
>watched over the one who had shouldered so<br>much of the burden.


End file.
